Baringo Woman Representative Florence Jematia has promised to follow in the footsteps of former President Daniel Moi by initiating projects that will uplift the lives of residents in the North Rift county.
Jematia said Moi built many schools across Kenya and she wants to do the same in Baringo to ensure teenage mothers are enrolled back in school.
Women and young girls are grappling with a myriad of challenges ranging from insecurity caused by frequent banditry and floods, she said.
"That's why I have embarked on a journey to transform the livelihoods of residents until they can fend for their basic needs," Jematia said.
The Woman Rep was speaking during the launch of development projects and women's economic empowerment initiatives at the National Cereals and Produce Board grounds in Kabarnet on Friday.
Jematia issued a wide range of livelihood transformative items including water pumps generators, posho mills, car washing machines, quarry working tools, public address systems, and beehives to 36 selected groups of residents.
The Woman Rep also revealed that going forward, the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF) programme would be granted twice every financial year to accommodate more beneficiaries.
She commended the 30 elected Members of the County Assembly for their role in supporting her programme in identifying the neediest groups noting that she would stop at nothing to ensure that all residents in the county are empowered irrespective of their gender.
“God willing, I want in the next three to four years, you will have become self-reliant in one way or another,” She said.
Jematia was accompanied by four other Women representatives, Beatrice Kemei (Kericho), Caroline Ngelechei (Elgeyo Marakwet), Linet Chepkorir (Bomet) and Rael Kasiwa (West Pokot).
She said she intended to eradicate the challenges residents were facing in the community due to lack of resources.
The legislator who announced the start of phase two street lighting programme targeting remote areas of the county said her office is at the advanced stages of negotiating for public sanctuaries in all the seven subcounties.
While presenting a Sh3.8 million bursary cheque to support teenage mothers enrolled in schools, the first-time Woman Rep urged residents to share more development ideas to steer the county to greater heights.
Jematia noted that she is ready to listen to requests geared towards improving the needs of residents.
Kemei lauded Jematia for supporting the community and urged the benefiting groups to take advantage of the empowerment tools to improve their livelihoods.
The Kericho Woman Rep pointed out that prudent use of NGAAF resources would help to increase funding by the National Treasury.
The legislator also challenged the youths to exploit their God-given talents in the county with diverse cultures to earn an income.
Ngelechei called upon area leadership to accord Jematia the necessary support during her tenure to continue assisting the vulnerable in society.
She was echoed by Kasiwai and Chepkorir who together congratulated their Baringo counterpart for her fore-sightedness in championing the needs of the community.
Baringo Senator William Cheptumo who attended the occasion accompanied by Baringo South Member of Parliament Charles Kamuren commended Jematia for her efforts in collaborating with all the 30 MCAs pledging to also support her in realising all the campaign pledges to residents.
Cheptumo challenged the beneficiaries not to misuse the empowerment tools which he observed were often poorly managed.
He noted that such empowerment tools were meant to benefit all residents and serve for many years to achieve value for money.
